A Trick of the Mind?
by psykotik
Summary: The relationship between Usagi and Mamoru has just been ended. Before Mamoru left Usagi, however, he told her that love was only the trick of the mind. But this changes when he sees Setsuna and finds she's been the one all along. Will this last very long?
1. Prologue

Mamoru stood up slowly. His head was spinning and his eyes were blurry. He thought it was night, but couldn't quite tell the difference between streetlights and the sun. However, he knew that he was in the middle of town somewhere, standing outside a pub called 'The Rusty Bucket'. There were women around him with brightly colored faces and lots of faux fur wrapped around them.  
  
One woman was clinging to his arm. She was wearing fishnet stockings, a short leather skirt, what seemed like a blue bikini top, and a purple boa around her shoulders. Her face was covered in makeup, and he could smell her cheap perfume. Why is she holding onto my arm? he thought warily. Who are these people. and why am I here?  
  
Questions kept swimming around his head. His head was still spinning, and he could barely think the questions, so that he was sure he was saying them aloud. The women were cackling in loud, annoying voices. He only managed to catch about every other word they said, but when he put them together, his mouth open wide and his face turned white as snow.  
  
Slowly, his head stopped spinning and his eyes came into focus. He wrenched his arm away from the woman tightly clutching it and ran down the street. It was starting to get cold as he slowed down, and he stuck his hands in his coat pockets.  
  
He finally reached Usagi's house, and before he knocked on the door, took a quick glance at his watch. It ticked 3:23. "She shouldn't mind," he said to himself. Mamoru walked around the house and crawled up the trellis. He found himself on Usagi's balcony, and gently rapped on the glass door. Mumbling could be heard coming from inside the room, and to Mamoru's dismay, a man came to the door. It was Motoki; Mamoru's most cherished friend in the whole universe.  
  
"Mamoru?" Motoki said wearily, rubbing his eyes.  
  
Mamoru's expression became angrier than ever. "What is" - he paused to usher to Usagi who had just gotten out of bed and was wrapped in a sheet - "all this?"  
  
Motoki blushed a deep red, then ducked behind the curtain, realizing he, too, was only in a sheet. "Look Mamoru," he started slowly, choosing his words carefully. "Hey, this isn't what it looks like. It's just -"  
  
"It's just my fiancé was in bed with my ex- best friend. Well, that's how it looks, and that's how it seems, and judging from the exposure of your midriff and her bosoms, that's what it is."  
  
"Mamo-chan." Usagi said through tears. "I was upset and Moto-chan came to see if you were here and. well."  
  
"One thing led to another and you wound up in. bed?" Mamoru put a great deal of emphasis on the word "bed", as well as let a few tears drip from his eyes. "Well, if that's how you feel, you two can spend the rest of your lives together. I don't know why I even stayed with you, Usagi, after than incident with that man you met at The Rusty Bucket."  
  
He was about to climb down the trellis and go back to his apartment, but Usagi stopped him. Her eyes were blurred with the amount of tears she was managing to keep in, but a good number managed to escape her would-be calm exterior. "Don't you. don't you love me anymore? Isn't love enough?"  
  
Mamoru turned to look at her in the eye. "Usagi, love is a trick of the mind. There is nothing but what is real. You and your sailor senshi associates speak of nothing but the power of love and how it can prevail over anything and everything. But it's not true. I wish I could believe you, I wish I could want to be with you, but it's just not there. Too many times have you hurt me, and too many times have I hurt you.  
  
"There's nothing left between us, and I wish you'd let it go. Stay with Motoki and stay bent on believing in such things as the power of love. But before I leave you forever, I'll tell you one more thing: There is no such thing as love! It is a trick of the mind created by the chemicals in your body and a bunch of hormones. So Usagi, give it up."  
  
With that, Mamoru climbed down the trellis and set off for his apartment. He stole a quick glance back and saw Usagi kicking and punching at Motoki. This sight was one that gave Mamoru an uplifting spirit, and that uplift lasted all the way back to his apartment.  
  
Mamoru woke up the next morning with a serious hangover. He remembered everything that had happened the night before starting from the time he realized who the women around him at The Rusty Bucket were. But to his amazement, there were flowers upon flowers strewn all around his apartment, especially his bedroom. The doorbell rang and he jumped up and pulled on his black robe, then strode to the door and opened it.  
  
A funny looking man was standing in front of him, wearing a brown button- down shirt and brown shorts. He was holding a package and a clipboard in front of him. "Are you Mamoru?"  
  
"Yes." Mamoru said slowly, unsure why he was getting packaged mail.  
  
"You have a package from a miss" - the man looked down at the clipboard - "Tsukino Usagi. Please sign here."  
  
The man pushed the clipboard at Mamoru and gave him a pen pulled from his pants pocket. Mamoru gave back the clipboard and pen, and the man thrust the package at him, tipped his brown hat, and walked off down the hallway to the elevator. Mamoru shut the door and walked over to the kitchen table, tore off the brown paper, and held the parcel in his hands for a moment, then thrust it down on the table and strode over to the bathroom.  
  
"Why would she send me a picture of myself, ChibiUsa, and her in the 30th century? It's not gonna happen, so why bother photographing them?" he said to himself as he stepped into the shower.  
  
He was still mumbling when the water was turned on and his body was lathered in soap, when the doorbell rang again. Grumbling, he quickly washed off the soap and pulled on his black robe again. He opened the door only to reveal Setsuna, wearing a very teary expression.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, is this a bad time?" Setsuna said politely, taking a mental note of Mamoru's appearance.  
  
Mamoru smiled warmly. "No," he said, ushering for Setsuna to come in and shutting the door behind her. "I was just finishing up my shower, you mind if I take a couple more minutes washing out the shampoo in my hair?"  
  
Setsuna's face wrinkled. There was no shampoo in his hair, but she said, in a slightly confused voice, "No, go right ahead. I'll just take a seat and wait for you."  
  
With that, she walked over to the living room area of Mamoru's apartment and sat down on a white leather couch. Mamoru went back into the kitchen, quickly washed his hair, got dressed, and came back out to see Setsuna in a time span of only twelve minutes.  
  
"Now," he said, still taking a towel to his wet hair. "What can I do for you?"  
  
Setsuna wiped the tears still streaming down her cheeks. "I heard you broke up with Usagi. I. I know it's none of my business, but I beg of you, please reconsider? If you never have a relationship with Usagi, ChibiUsa will never have been born, and she is the only family besides Hotaru that I have. Hotaru is grown up now and she's spending more and more time with ChibiUsa, Michiru, and Haruka. You'll not only be taking away from me, but from everyone else as well."  
  
Mamoru smiled contentedly. "I don't need Usagi to make a ChibiUsa. There are other fish in the sea, and in fact, there's one right in front of me."  
  
Setsuna stupidly looked around, then realized he was talking about her. "But. but Mamoru, what are you getting at?"  
  
Mamoru sat next to Setsuna and took her hands. "I'm saying that you've always been there for me. I'm saying that. when I told Usagi there was no such thing as love, I wasn't looking at love itself. We're both misunderstood and."  
  
"I've loved you since for as far as I can remember. Maybe this will work out. all I know is that love does exist. and if it didn't, my life would mean nothing at all."  
  
Mamoru pulled Setsuna closer to him, shut his eyes, and their lips met. That kiss could have lasted forever, at least for Setsuna, and in her heart, it did. 


	2. The Search

A Trick of the Mind?  
  
Chapter 1 - The Search  
  
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own anything except for the plot.  
  
Hino Rei's face went white. She'd drawn the 'Death' card, which never meant happy picnics in the park with close friends and family. The fires never steered the young reader wrong, and when this card was drawn, everything was pushed out of her mind.  
  
"Rei! Rei, are you in here?"  
  
Rei's concentration was broken by the calls from her friend, Kino Makoto. "Yes, Makoto, I'm here."  
  
She stood up and walked out of her reading room and into the tearoom next to it. Wiping some ashes from the fire off of her blue dress, she smiled at Makoto. "How can I help you?"  
  
"I was wondering if you know why Usagi is so down in the dumps? I mean, it's been three days since she got out of bed and ate a decent meal." Makoto's face was worn and there were scratches on her arms and a few bruises here and there. "I tried to pull her out of bed but she kicked and screamed and clawed the crap out of me."  
  
Rei sighed. "Oh, honey, you didn't hear?"  
  
"Hear what?"  
  
"Hear that Mamo-chan broke up with Usagi three days ago. He won't answer her calls, every flower she sends him he sends back. it's really doing a number on the poor girl."  
  
"Oh my gosh. so it's true then? Ami told me but I refused to believe it. they always seemed so happy together. Do. do you know why they broke up?"  
  
Rei sighed and starting wiping a few bits of soot out of her hair. "I'm not exactly sure, but I think it's because Mamoru found out Motoki and Usagi had slept together. He came to her balcony at like 4 AM and Motoki answered the door. After he left, Usagi starting beating up on Motoki, but funnily enough, didn't come back with one single bruise except one large one on his chest where I think Usagi probably rammed him with her head."  
  
Makoto stifled a giggle, but it didn't last long. After about two seconds she burst out, but was able to calm herself again in about a minute. She was happy for Mamoru because he finally got out of Usagi's grip - she remembered him always complaining that he wasn't happy with Usagi and only stayed with her for destiny's sake - but was also said for Usagi that she didn't have Mamoru anymore. Usagi said one time that if Mamoru ever left her, her life would be meaningless and she'd have no point in going on living it.  
  
"I feel bad for Usagi and all, but she really deserved it. I remember that about a month ago, Minako took her to The Rusty Bucket and Usagi came back all trashed with a bunch of used condoms in her car. Half of them probably belonged to Minako, but still. and then just last week I caught her in a diner with some guy, and they were kissing up a storm. Now. this?"  
  
Rei nodded. "Usagi's my friend and all, but she is such has become such a slut since her twenty-first birthday and I agree with Mamoru for dumping her. For 'destiny's sake'? More like ChibiUsa's sake. He loves that little girl to death but. that's more than I can say about her mother."  
  
The two continued talking for a while until Minako showed up and they "went their separate ways". Minako, however, stayed at the shrine with Rei, unaware that Rei was apparently annoyed with her for some reason. I wish she'd go away! she thought desperately, trying to concentrate on her readings.  
  
"Hey, Rei, did you hear about what happened to Usagi? Mamoru dumped her and now he's going out with someone else. Haruka and Michiru know but they won't tell me who it is. I'm trying to get it out of Hotaru and ChibiUsa but they're bent on secrecy too. I was wonder if maybe you knew?"  
  
Rei sat bolt upright. "What did you say?"  
  
"Do you know?"  
  
"No, before that."  
  
"Haruka, Michiru, Hotaru, and ChibiUsa won't tell me who it is?"  
  
"Before that."  
  
"Mamoru's going out with someone else?"  
  
"Stop! That's it. when did he start going out with someone else?"  
  
"The day after he dumped Usagi. It's really weird, too, and it's almost like this break-up was planned or something, y'know?"  
  
Rei got up and ran out of the shrine. The bus had gone and wouldn't be back for another hour, but she needed to know this instant, so she set out on foot. Two and a half miles. but it's worth it, she thought quickly. It took her a half-hour to reach her destination, and she hoped and prayed that Haruka and Michiru had not stepped out for a moment.  
  
To her satisfaction, they were sitting in their kitchen drinking coffee when she rapped her knuckles on the door. Haruka answered the door, and was very startled when Rei just pushed herself inside the door, without so much as a hello, into the kitchen where Michiru sat just as startled as her lover. "Rei! What a. surprise!" Haruka said, shutting the door, and strolling over to sit next to Michiru. "Can I ask why you're here?"  
  
"No, but can I ask you who Mamoru's going out with?"  
  
Michiru smiled in a dreamy sort of way. "I'm sorry, but we've sworn to secrecy. Can I offer you a cup of coffee, dear? Or perhaps tea?"  
  
"But I need to know!!" pouted Rei.  
  
Haruka muttered under her breath to Michiru, "Or maybe a juice box?"  
  
Michiru stifled a giggle and sent a stern look towards Haruka who got up and walked out of the room. "Sorry, Rei, but we can't tell you. She has never had a boyfriend in her entire life before and wishes that people don't know, so as not to tarnish the relationship. Please, Rei, have a cup of coffee with me and we'll talk."  
  
Rei softened her expression and nodded. She sat down on a stool across from Michiru and took the mug offered to her. They began a conversation, but still on the topic of Usagi and Mamoru of course. She was still kind of annoyed at the fact that Michiru nor Haruka would tell her who this mysterious girl Mamoru was going out with was, but she settled on the fact that it was probably best not to know anyway.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Setsuna's POV  
  
I smiled wide as Mamoru caressed my hair. He whispered in my ear and kissed my cheek daintily as I painted the lake we were positioned in front of on the lawn. I couldn't remember the last time I'd been this happy. "Mamoru," I said, turning to look into his blue eyes, him staring back into the crimson color of mine. "I don't think I've ever been this happy before. Stay with me always?"  
  
"Of course." Wrapping his arms around me, Mamoru pulled me into a warm lock. His arms were around my waist and my head was lead back against his shoulder. And we sat there, smiling, watching the sun go down and the lake turn orange, then pink, then purple. When the first star came out, I gathered up my painting and he walked me to my apartment.  
  
"Good night." I said, giving him a big kiss. I waited for him to be at the elevator before I fully shut the door. Something inside me just didn't want me to give up the sight of him, but it was late, and he needed to get home as well. Hopefully ChibiUsa wouldn't be with Hotaru watching television, and Hotaru would be asleep by now.  
  
When I walked into Hotaru's room, I found her sitting in her corner on her purple beanbag chair, reading a story. "Hey, honey," I said, walking over and kneeling down next to her. "What're you reading?"  
  
She looked up at me. Her cheeks were tearstained, her eyes red and puffy. She'd obviously been crying. "Where were you?" she burst out, wrapping her arms around me. "I waited and waited and I even turned down an offer to go to the arcade with ChibiUsa and Usagi! Where were you?"  
  
"I was out, Hotaru. I told Michiru to watch you. didn't she come over?"  
  
"She got sick and had to stay in the hospital. Haruka-san stayed with her all day."  
  
"Did Ami or Makoto come over? You could have called them, Hotaru. You know very well that they love you just as much as I do and don't want you to be sitting in a corner crying all day, right?"  
  
She nodded, tears streaming down her cheek faster than ever. "But I didn't want Ami or Makoto or anyone else! I wanted you!" She really emphasized the word 'you', and I suddenly felt something plunging to the ground in my stomach. Here I was, out having a good time with Mamoru, and all the while Hotaru was sitting alone in the apartment, crying in her reading corner.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"Hotaru didn't stop crying until 12 AM last night." Setsuna said groggily to Michiru. "What did you have anyway? You look fine now." Her eyes narrowed at Michiru who was now laughing under her breath uneasily.  
  
"Okay, okay. Haruka hit someone again and we spent the day at the police station filling out forms again." Michiru turned to look at Haruka who was next to her. "The boy didn't get hurt, only his bike. I mean big whoop, right? So we just have to pay a fine of 40 yen."  
  
The three were in a diner. It was very quaint and cozy, until Hino Rei and Kino Makoto came in. They looked determined, and Michiru and Haruka could only guess one reason they looked this way. "Setsuna, I think it best if we go." Haruka said under her breath.  
  
"But why? Oh look! There's Rei and Makoto! REI! MAKOTO!" Setsuna called, waving at them.  
  
Haruka bit her lip. "Because they want to know who's dating Mamoru!" She emphasized the last bit of her sentence.  
  
Setsuna apparently didn't hear her. Rei and Makoto came over, but before anyone got a chance to exchange greetings, they said in unison, "It's you!" pointing to Setsuna like she was some kind of convict guilty of murder.  
  
"Beg your pardon?" she said politely. "I'm what?"  
  
Makoto smiled. "We narrowed it down. It has to be you."  
  
Rei put up her victory sign. "You are Mamo-chan's new girlfriend!"  
  
Setsuna's face turned red. "Well, I guess you've caught me red handed. But, could you do me a favor and keep this to yourselves?"  
  
"Of course! We'd do anything for a good friend such as you. Well, Rei, I guess the search is over." Makoto said triumphantly.  
  
"Guess so." Rei replied. 


	3. Planet Called Gaia

A Trick of the Mind?

Chapter 2 – Planet Called Gaia

Disclaimer: The plot and a few original characters (that will emerge later on in the story) are the only things that belong to me. Damn! XP

The sky was glowing a vibrant orange with tints of pale pink and red. Setsuna's dress nearly blended into the sky she was looking into. It was pale orange with puffs of pale pink and a few red spurts here and there. The dress fit tightly around her figure, and hung a little loosely at the hem right above her kneecaps. Her feet were covered with orange sandals with thin heels that gave her about two and a half inches in height. Her hair, green and healthy as ever, was tied up in a loose bun secured with a ribbon that started out red and slowly faded into orange.

She began to breathe heavily. Her day had gone so well, but as the sun knew everyday that it must go to sleep every night, she too knew this. Mamoru touched her face, gently rubbing her cheek and smiling all the while. He, too, began to breathe deeply, knowing very well that he would have to say goodbye to Setsuna and they would have to go their separate ways. 

"Setsuna," Mamoru started unsteadily and slowly, "there's something I have to ask you."

Setsuna's POV

"Setsuna, there's something I have to ask you."

I could feel my face turning a pearly white, matching the moon hovering above us. _'What on earth could he have to ask me?'_ I thought. His voice was unsteady and nervous, the very thing that unnerved me so. Shakily, I moved his hand away from my face and stared deep into his mesmerizing blue eyes that had captured me in the first place.

"Y-yes?" I asked in response. My mind felt like it'd turned into a pair of legs, pacing up and down a long room filled with filing cabinets, each holding memories, questions, answers.

The huge sigh he let out could have been heard across town. Mamoru nodded, ripping his hand away from mine and holding my head steadily, much different from his quivering voice. "Setsuna, darling, how long have we been together?"

My eyes opened widely and I could've sworn my jaw dropped three feet. "Uh… about… about two months…"

"Well, I think that since we've been together for so long, we should stop slinking around and express to everyone what we feel for each other."

I sighed. I didn't know what I was thinking! "_Oh_!" I exclaimed. "You mean you want to tell everyone that we're dating, right?"

He shook his head. I could feel his strong grip getting lighter as he slid his hands off my face and withdrew from his jacket a small black box. "I _mean_, will you marry me?" He clicked open the box to reveal a three-karat diamond ring on a platinum band. Mamoru pushed the box toward me, and I felt a rushing sensation surge through my body.

__

'Oh my God!' My mind began to wander. I probably sat there, staring at it with vacant eyes, for about three or four minutes before he said again, "Will you marry me?" So many thoughts raced this way and that. Would it be a good idea to marry after only two months of dating? How did he pay for that rock? How will we pay for the wedding? Where will we live? What will I do with Hotaru?

Finally, I nodded my head and tears streamed down my cheeks. I took the ring and placed it daintily on my finger, then threw my arms around him as more and more tears came pouring out. "I love you…" I whispered in his ear as he swept me up off the ground and swung me around. He carried me out of the park we'd had our date at, down the street, and to his apartment…

__

Next Morning

Setsuna's POV

I woke up in Mamoru's bed. Nothing had happened, I knew that much, but why was I there? My throat felt dry and I was feeling groggy and dizzy. I remembered having a lot of champagne with Mamoru, talking, laughing, kissing… The clock on the nightstand next to me blinked '12:00'. Oh no! Hotaru!

I threw the sheets off of me and slipped on my shoes. Grabbing my purse, I kissed Mamoru, who was still sound asleep, on the cheek and rushed out the door. Not even bothering to call a cab, I ran down the street as quickly as I could. People would stop and stare at me, but I didn't care. I remembered one night when I came home late at night, and Hotaru was huddled in a corner of her room, crying wildly.

When I got home, I was surprised to see Usagi there. I didn't know it yet, but my makeup was smudged and my eyeliner had run all down my cheeks, but I didn't have time to look in a mirror. Quickly, I straightened my dress and smoothed out my hair and, with all the poise and grace in the world, I walked into the kitchen. 

"Oh, hello, Setsuna!" Usagi exclaimed, stifling a giggle.

"Mommy!" Hotaru ran up and wrapped her arms around him. However, this brief moment of affection was ruined when she pulled back and shot me the sternest look I'd ever seen come from her. "Where were you? And why is your makeup all messed?"

I sighed and knelt to her level. "I was with a friend, and it started to rain so we went to my friend's house and I ended up staying there."

Then I realized the ring was still on my finger, and the amount of light sparkling in from the bay window in front of me could not be could. Sure enough, when it shone in the glowing light sent from the sun, Usagi raised her brow suspiciously. "Setsuna, that's a beautiful ring. Is it a Harry Winston?"

I looked at the ring and nodded. "Yes, it is. Why do you ask?"

"Just that Harry Winston diamonds are meant purely for engagement rings. I wasn't even aware that you had a boyfriend, Setsuna. Who is the lucky man?"

"Oh… umm… I don't. I just liked the ring so I bought it."

"Three karats on platinum must have cost you an arm an a leg, am I right?"

I was beginning to get nervous. "Usagi, I'm sorry to be rude, but I've had a rough night, so I'll ask that you leave. There is a meeting at Rei's today, is there not?" She nodded, gathering up her purse. "Then I'll see you at four. It _is_ at four, correct? Like all the other meetings she holds?" She nodded once more, gave Hotaru a peck on the cheek, hugged me, and left.

~ * ~

Setsuna sighed loudly. She had thought that Usagi was going to figure out her little "secret". However, she couldn't refuse her own "daughter", whom asked her the very same questions the moment after she heard the _ding_ that meant Usagi was in the elevator. "Mama," Hotaru said timidly, "are you getting married?"

Hotaru's eyes were large and glassy, portraying such innocence that even the toughest senshi, Haruka, would not have been able to deny her a truthful answer. So Setsuna said and placed Hotaru on her lap, bouncing her knee slowly. "Yes, honey, I am."

"To who?"

"Mamoru-san."

"_Really_?"

Hotaru was ecstatic. You could see it in her very expression. Her mouth was wide in both surprise and approval. Her eyes were set in such a way that was in sync with her mouth's expression. Her tiny little dimples at the corner of her mouth were huge and deep with happiness. She was delighted.

Setsuna nodded gracefully. "Yes, honey, I am." She stole a glance at the microwave, which blinked '3:47'. "Oh, honey! We have to book it! The meeting at Rei's is in thirteen minutes!" She set Hotaru down and ran to her room to change, fix her make up, and brush her teeth. Her hair was in a total and complete mess, but she didn't have time for anything extravagant, so she just put it up in its normal do; a half bun.

Hotaru ran to the door and flung it open, only to be greeted by the grinning face of Chiba Mamoru. "Hey, Hotaru!" Mamoru said, giving her a warm hug and friendly peck on the cheek. "Where's your mum?"

"Oh, she's in her room changing for the meeting today, _Daddy_." Hotaru gave a smart-ass kind of smirk and walked out into the hallway of the apartment building, patiently waiting for Setsuna to come out.

"_Daddy_? Hmm… Setsuna must have told her." Mamoru walked into the apartment and greeted Setsuna with a big kiss. "Ready?"

"For what?" she replied, desperately trying to get her eyeliner right. "Are we going somewhere?"

A puzzled look came over Mamoru. "Yes, actually," he said, "we have dinner reservations at a really fancy French restaurant. Have you forgotten?"

Setsuna looked up suddenly, sending a dark blue line going down her cheek. "What? I thought that was _tomorrow_ night! I'm so sorry, honey!"

"And I'm so sorry you don't look good with that line on your cheek." Mamoru chuckled.

Setsuna sent a dirty look at him and began to rub it off. "Oh, fuck it!" Mamoru's eyes widened and his mouth opened. "What? _What_?"

"I-it's just that I-I've never heard you curse before."

"Whatever. Anyway, you're coming to the meeting at Rei's tonight, right? Since I can't come with you on that date?"

"Well…"

"Oh _please_, Mamoru! It's _been_ nine months since you and Usagi had that fight and you had those three dates with Rei. It's time you got over it! You're coming."

"But Setsuna… we… erm…"

"You _slept_ with her?"

"N-no?"

She rolled her eyes at her fiancé and continued to quickly apply her makeup. Finally, after about a minute or two, she got up and promptly slapped him. "Yes, I _know_ you've slept with other women, as all men _do_, but you don't _lie_ to me about it, damn it!"

Mamoru's head drooped into a bow, and he sighed loudly. "Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just… this time it wasn't my fault. She kind of… forced me."

Setsuna sighed again. "I don't care. Now come on, we're going to be late."

"Okay." Mamoru replied, following Setsuna out of the apartment and into her car. Hotaru hopped into the back seat, smiling widely.

Setsuna buckled up. Then Mamoru. Then Hotaru. After she was sure that Hotaru was buckled up (she had a habit of just pretending) she stepped on the ignition and was off towards the shrine. The trio arrived after about five minutes of silent driving, and hurriedly entered the shrine, only to find that the meeting had already begun.

Rei turned towards Setsuna and Hotaru, and smiled. "Well, I'm glad you _finally_ made it, you two! Hurry up and take a seat. Luna's going to talk about our new possible ally. Luna?"

Setsuna and Hotaru sat down behind Michiru, closely followed by Mamoru. He was very uneasy about being here, seeing as 1) he was the only male and non-senshi and 2) he wasn't exactly sure that Rei wanted to be around him. After all, she greeted Setsuna and Hotaru with a warm smile, and him with the cold shoulder. Luna stepped up to the "podium", followed by Artemis and Diana. They were all in human form.

She cleared her throat and began. "Hello senshi, and Mamoru. I hope you've been having a pretty good summer." They all nodded, except for Usagi. "Well, I have good news, and bad. We may have potential allies from the planet Gaia, the parallel equivalent of Earth, but we _also_ may have potential _adversaries_. Now, we must send one of the senshi, and I'm really debating on who it should be. Artemis?"

"The leader seems to be Sailor Jasmine, whom seems to be a senshi of earth. She sounds like a pretty nice girl, but we're not sure. We want to send a compatible senshi to greet her and to see if she would like to be ally or foe, but we've only been able to come up with two potentially compatible senshi, and they are still very iffy. Diana?"

"Well, Haruka, you seem to be very much like this Sailor Jasmine. You each have similar interests regarding physical activity. However, Setsuna seems to have the more compatible personality and traits. Even so, there is still one more with the same social status and concerns – Minako. Any three of you would be good choices to send, but the problem is, who's willing to go? It takes a lot to travel to a parallel universe, especially if the particular planet is the parallel equivalent of your own."

"Thank you, Diana. That was very well said." Luna smiled down at her daughter and nodded. "Now, with a show of hands, who thinks that Haruka should be the one to go?" Michiru, Hotaru, and Makoto raised their hands. "Three? Okay. Setsuna?" Usagi, Rei, Ami, and Minako raised their hands. "Four. All right. And last, but certainly not least, Minako?" The rest of the gang – Mamoru, Setsuna, Chibi-Usa, and Haruka raised their hands. "Four. Okay. It's a tie. Now, we weren't just going to _make_ you go! Out of Setsuna and Minako, who is willing to go?"

Setsuna and Minako both exchanged glances. _Maybe now would be a good time to tell them that I'm getting married?_ Setsuna thought nervously. "I _would_ go," she started, "but I've Hotaru to take care of and I cannot miss any days at my job. I blew all my vacation days with Hotaru at the beach three weeks ago."

Minako nearly growled at Setsuna. "Well, I have school and a boyfriend and a life. You have a _job_ and a daughter who isn't even – I mean, and a daughter. Top that, _goody-goody_."

Leaning over into Mamoru's ear, Setsuna whispered, "Should I tell them?" He nodded and then she replied with a nod of her own. She stood up and went to the front of the room where Luna, Artemis, and Diana had been standing. Clearing her throat and smiling widely, she announced, "Everyone, I have an announcement. For about two months now, Mamoru and I have been dating –" a gasp emerged from the small audience – "and… well… we're getting married."

At her last bit, the waterworks started. They were all tears of happiness and joy, except for Usagi and Chibi-Usa's. She had _known_ that Setsuna was going out with Mamoru – all the signs were there – but she didn't feel like she had to accept that fact until now. She whipped around and faced Mamoru, staring deep into his mesmerizing blue eyes. "How could you?" she whispered dramatically, "How could you _marry_ her?"

Mamoru cast a dark look at Usagi. "I can marry anyone I wish, and I don't need _your_ permission, Usagi. And it just so happens that I _choose_ to marry Setsuna, and she has _chosen_ to accept my proposal. How can I spell it out any clearer for you?" He got up and went up to Setsuna, planting a big kiss on her rose red lips. Everybody, except for Usagi and Chibi-Usa, gave out a whimsical "aww" at this and started clapping. 

Minako, tears streaming down her cheeks with merriment, shook her head fiercely. "I'll go, Setsuna! I'll go! You stay here with your new fiancé and plan your wedding. I'll go!"

Setsuna smiled gratefully at Minako and drew her into an embrace. "Thank you _so_ much, Minako! You're _definitely_ going to be one of my bride's maids!" Minako took Setsuna into another hug, the tears uncontrollable now.

"Thank you! Anyway," she wiped away the tears and everyone went silent. "When do I leave, Luna? And what do I do?"

Luna cleared her throat. "Well, you'll need to leave as soon as possible. However, we won't be able to arrange a P.U.T.P, or Parallel Universe Transportation Pod, until the day after tomorrow. We will take care of everything for you. What you need to do is talk to this Sailor Jasmine. You need to try and persuade her to our side."

Minako nodded assuredly. "I can do that. Well… I'm going to head off now. I have a date with someone."

"_Claude_?" Makoto mused.

"_Yes_! Do you have a _problem_ with me dating _Claude_?"

Makoto mimicked Minako in a frog-like voice. "Do you have a _problem_ with me dating _Claude_?"

"Shut up! Just because he's French you automatically assume there's something wrong with him! Well, you know, not _all_ French guys don't bathe and wear a lot of cologne to cover up the smell, and not _all_ French guys are little horn dogs you have to bat away with a stick."

Makoto chuckled. "Well this one is. And granted, he _does_ bathe – occasionally – but he _is_ what you would call a horn dog you have to bat away with a stick. I caught him in the park the other day with… _Rei_!"

Minako turned towards Rei with stern eyes. "What happened between you and Claude?" she angrily muttered through gritted teeth.

"Nothing! Nothing, I swear!" Rei replied, raising her hands in surrender. "I would never do that to my friend! He was just helping me with… with my geometry homework. You know how I am with math!"

Minako cooled down. She believed Rei, even though she shouldn't have. Rei was lying like a rug, and Makoto and everyone else knew it. _I suppose she just wants to believe everyone… no matter how fishy the story is._ Ami thought logically, knowing very well that Rei was _excellent_ at math, even if she didn't really like the subject.

Slowly, the shrine emptied, and it left only Rei, Setsuna, and Mamoru (Hotaru had gone home with Chibi-Usa and Usagi). "So," Rei started slowly, choosing her words ever so carefully. "Where did you get the money for that rock on Setsuna's finger?"

"I-I've been saving up for quite a while now. I think about… six years? Yeah, six years. The ring was originally intended for Usagi, when I thought we had a chance. But then Setsuna and I started dating and I figured, hell, she's the best thing that's happened to me in a while, why not just tie the knot? So I went to the jewelry store a few weeks ago and picked out a totally new ring, same price though, because I knew Setsuna wouldn't want a ring I'd picked out six years ago that was intended for Usagi originally. And here we are."

A/N: Well, it has been soooooooo long since I posted a chapter in this story. Let me lay out the problems:

I hadn't been able to come up with good ideas for this chapter, hint why I didn't write anything.

My computer was down for a week so I kind of couldn't write _anything_.

Well… I hope that this keeps you busy for a while, because I'm going to have a _hard_ time trying to get inspiration from things. And in any case, please read my Harry Potter fic, Nowhere but Up, and review this story and that! Thanks

Luv,

P*e*a*c*h*y


End file.
